My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Hole-ding it’s breath

It’s the moment before the Autumn leaves change

No longer summer but not yet cold.

Autumn but not quite.

Everything is sun steeped but not yet bursting with colour.

It’s like every tree is holding their breath getting ready for the show.

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Tutorials
Off-center hole-wreath armature
12 September 2018
Off-center hole-wreath armature

Craft a slightly off center wreath from dried vines and grasses for Phalaenopsis orchids.
Drinking straw "test tubes"
4 January 2011
Drinking straw "test tubes"

When you need to keep a tiny stem hydrated this is just what you need.
Sun baked Sweetpea vine wreath
26 August 2015
Sun baked Sweetpea vine wreath

A perfect way to use a Lathyrus vine after all it flowered
Weaving a twig wreath
1 November 2011
Weaving a twig wreath

For my design I wanted the wreath to look wind blown so I added a few loosely woven twigs into the weave. I also wanted to emphasize the autumn colours so I added a twirling copper wire into the weave
Washi paper (Rakusui) split tube
1 July 2015
Washi paper (Rakusui) split tube

Rip up the Washi paper for a lace fine armature for floral art
Keep your fresh plant material hydrated... and your dried plant material from falling into the water with a dried vine armature
3 October 2023
Keep your fresh plant material hydrated... and your dried plant material from falling into the water with a dried vine armature

Use dried floral details to keep fresh floral details suspended in water and fresh floral details to keep dried floral details from falling into the water… easy!
A fluffy faded leaf "tail" to display delicate autumn treasures
5 October 2022
A fluffy faded leaf "tail" to display delicate autumn treasures

Threading leaves to craft a long garland armature for an autumn display
Tendril Tangle Grid
4 May 2022
Tendril Tangle Grid

Let tendrils do what they naturally do to help keep your flowers in place.
An eggshell stack and grass snippet arch with a hidden water source for a Spring or Easter design
27 March 2019
An eggshell stack and grass snippet arch with a hidden water source for a Spring or Easter design

An almost nest like design with a hidden water source.
Crescent willow moon
21 November 2018
Crescent willow moon

Craft a crescent shaped willow armature
Related Designs
Bent
26 August 2015
Bent

Weave a wreath from sweetpea stems and tendrils
So Fine
15 July 2015
So Fine

Use transparencies to create floating devices for the flower material
At a Stretch
1 July 2015
At a Stretch

Glue a paper tube floral art structure
In the Bag
14 April 2011
In the Bag

My bag was woven from re-purposed wire and recycled fishing line and tiny stems of growing sweet pea plants and orchids
So Into Fall
4 October 2023
So Into Fall

Keep you fresh plant material hydrated in water... and your dried plant material suspended to keep it from falling into the water.
Tail End Of The Season
5 October 2022
Tail End Of The Season

A display armature for a delicate autumn display.
Wonderful and Enough
4 May 2022
Wonderful and Enough

That incredible moment when you realize that one good idea for your design really is enough...
Like trying to find a water tube in a eggshell stack
27 March 2019
Like trying to find a water tube in a eggshell stack

A fun Spring and Easter design with stacked eggshells.
Rules!
21 November 2018
Rules!

The first design I did for my book launch demonstration looking at aspects that influences my effortless style of designing.
Favourite Flowers
Lathyrus
Lathyrus

This design was entered in the craft section of a show. I grew my bag over 12 weeks. Each day I would guide the tiny fresh growth of the Sweet Pea plants to completely cover the...
Phalaenopsis
Phalaenopsis

Phalaenopsis orchid detail from my Harnessing the Wind design